Railway car construction



Dec. 3, 1940. Q G, GlLPiN RAILWAY CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed Deo. 21, 193s 5 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 3, 1940. G. G. GILPIN 2,223,609

RAILWAY CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 21, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 30,? s .3J '[32' I 30 L Q/ [/32 1 u i Patented Dec. 3, 1940 2,223,609 RAILWAY CAR CONSTRUCTION Garth G. Gilpin, Riverside, Ill., asslg'nor to Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application Deeember 21, 193s, serieu No. 246,968

9 Claims.

The invention relates to railway cars and more particularly to the walls of railway cars. End walls are commonly made of metallic plate having substantially parallel corrugatlons which function as beams between the comer posts. I will describe my invention as adapted to an end wall, although I do not wish to limit it thereto for it is also applicable to side walls, doors, roofs or floors.

Recent trendsin the design of railway cars have been toward the reduction of weight of the cars. In order to effect economies of operation, the railroads are endavoring to increase the ratio of revenue loads to total loads and are now making extensive use of high strength, low alloy steels, such as Cor-Ten, Yoloy and similar steels. 'I'hese steels have considerably greater .strength than the carbon steels commonly used which makes it possible, from a strength cono sideration, to use thinner members with a con- 5 structure and the strength of the steel.

sequent saving of weight.

Corrugated plates are commonly used for end walls, the corrugations functioning as beams between the corner posts so that the portion of the corrugations adjacent the interior of the car serve as compression members of 'the beams, while the portions adjacent the exterior of the car serve as tension members. A plate is not well suited to resist compressive loads on account of its tendency to buckle and this tendency has become more pronounced with the increased use of thinner plates. Consequently, the strength of walls made of thin plate is less than is indicated by calculations based on the design of the 'Ihe difference is caused by buckling of the compression members of the corrugations. It is an object of this invention to provide a stilening eorrugation in said compression member to resist buckling.

Lading hauled in railway cars is often of a type which is thrown against the end wall by the service movements of the car. Some com,- modities, such as lumber, have projecting parts which strike localized areas with great force. There is a danger, which is greatly increased by the use of thinner end wall plates, of denting the compression members of the corrugations.' A dent greatly weakens a compression member and, therefore, the wall as a whole against loads from within the car. An object of the invention is that the stiffening corrugation, in addition to resisting buckling, should also resist localized dents which greatly impair the strength of a corrugated wall.

A further object of the invention is to increase the strength of an end wall without decreasing the resiliency thereof. The above mentioned stiiening corrugation which strengthens the end wall by resisting buckling and denting may be proportioned so as to leave the section modulus of the wall substantially similar to that of a wall without a stiiening corrugation. Since resiliency is directly relatedto section modulus, I claim to have very considerably increased the strength of a corrugated Wall without impairing the resiliency thereof.

Another object of my invention is to increase the lstrength of the end wall without increasing the cost thereof. Only a very small amount of material is required to form the stifiening corrugation and there are no labor expenses because the stii'iening corrugations may be formed simultaneously with the forming of the other corrugations.

The stiiiening corrugation is. particularly adapted to end walls made of relatively thin plate and was developed particularly for use therein. Its value decreases as the thickness of the plate increases but tests show that some benets would probably be derived in the use thereof for plates less than one-quarter inch thick.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken with reference to the drawings in which: Y

Fig. 1 is an endview of a railway car embodying my invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are sections on lines 2--2 and 3 3 respectively of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a portion of Fig. 2 enlarged to show the details of the stiffenlng corrugation.

Fig. 5 shows a modified form of stiiener.

Figs. 6 1() inclusive show alternate positions for the stiiening corrugations.

Figs. 11 and 12 are enlarged sections on lines Il-II and l2-l2 respectively of Fig. 8.

Figs. 13-16 inclusive show modied constructions.

Figs. 17 and 18 are enlarged sections on lines l'l-I'l and lll-I8 respectively of Fig. 14.

Figs. 1921'lnclusive show modified forms of stiffening.

Figs. 1 to 3 show the endportion of a railway car, including end wall plate 2; striking casting 3; lower corner caps 4; upper corner caps 5; roof 6; running board 1; corner posts 8; side sheathing 9; side lining Il); end lining ll and floor l2. The end wall plate 2 is formed with a plurality of substantially parallel major corrugatlons I5 which function as beams between the corner posts 8. The portions I6 of the plate 2 vadjacent the exterior of the car function as-the tension members of said beams, while the portions I1 adjacent the interior of the car are preferably tapered adjacent their opposite ends and minor corrugations 2|) formedbetween the corrugations i5 adjacent the ends thereof. 1

Stiiening corrugations are formed in the compression members |1 of the end wall plate 2. 'I'he stiiening corrugations 25 preferably extend between and merge into the minor corrugations 20.

Fig. 4 shows an enlarged view of a stiiening corrugation 25 and Fig. 5 shows a relatively small member or bead 21 welded to the compression members I1 to stiften said compression member. In the modification shown in Fig. 6, the end wall plate 2 is formed with a plurality of corrugations 36 which merge together to form a lesser number of wider and deeper corrugations 3|. Stiifening corrugations 32 are provided between the corrugations 3| and extend to adjacent the ends of the corrugations 30.

Fig. 7 shows an end wall plate 2 provided with a plurality of substantially parallel corrugations i5 with-minor corrugations 20 between the cor-L rugations i5 and adjacent the ends thereof. Stiiening corrugations 40 have central portions Il between the corrugations I5 and extending substantially between the minor corrugations 20.

' The stiening corrugations 40 divide to form a greater number of corrugations 42, each being between a major corrugation |54and a minor corrugation 20.'

In Fig. 8 the end wall plate 2 has formed therein a plurality of corrugations 30 which merge together to form a greater number of wider and deeper corrugations 3|. Stiffening corrugations l5 are provided between the corrugations 3| and other stiiening corrugations 46 are provided between the corrugations 30. The terminations or end portions l1 of the corrugations 30 are tapered so that the stiiening corrugations -46 may extend substantially to the corner posts 8.

Fig. 9 shows the end wallplate 2 formed with a plurality of substantially parallel corrugations I5 with minor corrugations 20 between the corrugations i5 and adjacent the ends thereof. Stiffening corrugations 55 are provided between the major corrugations I5 and extend substantially between the minor corrugations 26. Other stiffening corrugations 56 are disposed between the major corrugations 5 and minor corrugations 26 and extend substantially to the corner posts 8.

In the modification shown in Fig. 10 the end wall plate 2 is formed with a plurality of parallel corrugations 66 vwhich extend substantially between the corner posts 8. Stiemng corrugations 6| are disposed between the corrugations 50 and also extend substantially between corner posts.

Fig. 13 shows a plate 2 formed with a plurality of substantially parallel corrugations which provide a series of beams extending between opposite edges of said plate. The compression members 66 are provided with shallow stiiening corrugations 61 which terminate intermediate the terminations of the corrugations 55. Stiifening corrugations may be considered unnecessary adjacent the edges of the plate 2 because the stresses are relatively low in those portions of the plate.

In the modification shown in Fig. 14.the plate 211s formed with a' plurality of-substantially parallel corrugations 10 with minor corrugations 1| disposed therebetween and adjacent the ends thereof. The stiflening corrugations 12 are between the corrugations 15 and are tapered (12) 5 at their ends.

In Fig. 15 the plate 2 is formed with a plurality of corrugations which merge together between their opposite ends to form a lesser ,d number of wider and deeper corrugations 3|. 10 Shallow stinening corrugations 82 are provided which are similar to the stiiening corrugations 61 of Fig. 13 in that they terminate intermediate the edges of the plate 2.

The stiftening corrugations 55 of Fig. 16 have 15 a central portion I6 of constant depth and width and tapered portions 51. The corrugations 85 may be used to stiifen a plate having parallel corrugations 88, as shown in Fig. 16, or corrugations of the types shown in Figs. y14 and 15. zo

In the modification shown in Fig. 19 the compression members i1 of the corrugated plate 2 are provided with inwardly projecting stifrening corrugations 5|.- Fig. 20 shows a compression member i1 formed vwith a plurality of stiiening 35 corrugations 93. In Fig. 4 an inwardly projecting stiffening corrugation is adjacent an outwardly projecting stitfening corrugation 96.

I have illustrated several arrangements of end wall plates to which are adapted stiffening corrugations in various forms. It is not intended that my invention be limited to the arrangements shown; rather, my invention includes any arrangement in which a stiiening corrugation is used to reinforce the compression side of the corrugated plate.

Tests have been made on corrugated plates supported as beams. It was found that a plate 2, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, developed 'a considerably greater strength than a plate similar in every respect except for the omission of the stiilening corrugation 25. The stiiening corrugation 25 increased the strength of the plate by 12.6% in the case of a Ik" plateand9.0% in the case of a 551 plate. It is evident from these tests that, in a car wall of the type tested, the stiilening corrugations added considerable strength to plates thinner than 1%". The strengthening effect of the stifening corrugations would vary, however, with various conilgurations of main corrugations and stiffening corrugations. Consequently, the term relatively thin, as used in the claims, should be interpreted to mean any plate having a thickness and configuration such that a stiifening corrugation of the general type disclosed would have a strengthening effect.

It is evident from the above cited tests that thin corrugated plates sometimes fail by buckling of the corrugations which have compressive stresses induced therein and that the possibility of such buckling is considerably reduced by the provision of the shallow stiiening corrugations herein disclosed. Ii the configuration of the tension and compression corrugations is such 65 that the unit stress in the tension corrugation is greater than the unit stress in the compression corrugation and the difference between such unit stresses is so great that the plate fails by pression unit stresses are nearly enough alike u that the compression corrugations tend to fail,

- due to the aforementioned buckling, the corruvso 1. A railway car wall comprising a relatively thin metallic plate secured to spaced apart frame members, said plate formed with a plurality of substantially parallel main corrugations which extend substantially between said frame members, said corrugations projecting substantially equal distances alternately on opposite sides of the neutral axis plane which is substantially parallel with the general plane of said wall and shallow stiifening corrugations in the portions of the inwardly projecting main corrugations which are substantially midway between said frame members.

2. A railway car wall comprising a relatively thin metallic plate secured to spaced apart frame members. said plate formed with a plurality of substantially parallel main corrugations which extend substantially between said frame members, said corrugations projecting substantially equal distances alternately on opposite sides of the neutral axis plane which is substantially parallel with the general plane of said wall and shallow stiifening corrugations in the apices of the portions of the inwardly projecting main corrugations which are substantially midway between said frame members.

3. A railway car wall comprising a relatively thin metallic plate secured to spaced apart frame members, said plate formed with a plurality of substantially parallel sinuous main corrugations which extend substantially between said frame members, said corrugations projecting substantially equal distances alternately on opposite sides of the neutral axis plane which is substantially parallel with the general plane of said wall and shallow stiifening corrugations in the portions of the inwardly projecting main corrugations which are substantially midway between said frame members.

4. A railway car wall comprising a relatively thin metallic plate secured to spaced apart frame members, said plate formed with a plurality of substantially parallel main corrugations which extend substantially between said frame members, said corrugations projecting substantially equal distances alternately on opposite sides oi the neutral axis plane whichV is substantially parallel with the general plane of said wall and outwardly projecting shallow stii'iening corrugations in the portions of the inwardly projecting main corrugations which are substantially midway between saidframe members.

5. A railway car wall comprising a. relatively thin metallic plate secured to spaced apart frame membens, said plate formed with a plurality of substantially parallel main corrugations which project substantially equal distances alternately on opposite sides of the neutral axis plane which is substantially parallel with the general plane of said wall, the inwardly projecting main corrugations dividing at points adjacent their opposite ends to form a greater number of narrower corrugations which terminate adjacent said frame members and shallow stiifening corrugations in the parts of said inwardly projecting main corrugations between said points.

6. A railway car wall comprising a relatively thin metallic plate secured to spaced apart frame members, said plate formed with a plurality of substantially parallel main corrugations which project substantially equal distances alternately on opposite sides of the neutral axis plane which is substantially parallel with the general plane of said wall, the inwardly projecting main corrugations dividing at points adjacent their opposite ends to form a greater number of narrower corrugations which terminate adjacent said frame members, said inwardly projecting main corrugations formed with shallow stiffening corrugations which extend between and merge into said points.

7. A railway car wall comprising a relatively thin metallic plate secured to spaced apart frame members, said plate formed with a plurality of substantially parallel main corrugations which project substantially equal distances alternately on opposite sides of the neutral axis plane which is substantially parallel with the general plane of said wall, the outwardly projecting main corrugations dividing adjacent their opposite ends to form a greater number of narrower corrugations which terminate adjacent said frame members and shallow stiilening corrugations in the parts of the inwardly projecting main corrugations adjacent the undivided parts of the outwardly projecting main corrugations.

8. A railway car wall comprising a relatively thin metallic vplate secured to spaced apart frame members, said plate formed with la plurality of substantially parallel main corrugations which extend substantially between said frame members, said corrugations projecting substantially equal distances alternately on opposite sides of the neutral axis plane which is substantially parallel with the general plane of said wall and shallow stiffening corrugations in the portions of the inwardly projecting main corrugations which are substantially midway between said frame members, said stiening corrugations being tapered toward their opposite ends.

9. A relatively thin metallic plate adapted to be secured to spaced apart railway car frame members to form a wall of said car, said plate formed' with a plurality of substantially parallel main corrugations which extend substantially between the parts of the plate adapted to be secured to said frame members, said corrugations projecting substantially equal distances alternately on opposite sides of the neutral axis plane GARTH G. GII-PIN. 

